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Macedonia

Skopje Region

Skopje Fortress (Kale Fortress)

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Places to see

Castles

Macedonia

Skopje Region

Skopje Fortress (Kale Fortress)

Recommended by 22 hikers out of 24

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Location: Skopje Region, Macedonia

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Best Hikes to Skopje Fortress (Kale Fortress)

4.9

(16)

117

hikers

1. Stone Bridge, Skopje – Old Bazaar Skopje loop from Скопје

7.14km

01:52

60m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

4.8

(13)

105

hikers

2. Stone Bridge, Skopje – Old Bazaar Skopje loop from Debar Maalo

7.62km

02:00

60m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

4.0

(1)

hikers

3. Stone Bridge, Skopje – Old Bazaar Skopje loop from Skopje

5.00km

01:19

50m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

Tips

Bantas

February 28, 2018

I recommend to be at Kale at 12 o`clock. Only there you can hear the muezzins of all the mosques in Skopje mixing up. An absolutely amazing experience!

Lutz - Berlin

September 4, 2018

Great highlight, beautiful view of the city and definitely a must when visiting Skopje. But unfortunately the castle Kale is neglected by the city administration. Many roads are impassable and some are quite dangerous. Disabled people were not thought at all. Also missing signs and signposts.

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Sebastian

July 9, 2022

The Kale Fortress (Macedonian Скопско кале, Albanian Kalaja e Shkupit) is located on a hill west of the old town and on the north side of the Vardar. The first traces of human settlement at the castle date back to the 4th millennium BC. Under the Bulgarian tsar Samuil (10th century AD) a fortified settlement stood on the hill for the first time. In 1391 the city and the surrounding region were conquered by the Ottomans. The war destroyed large parts of the city, including the fortress. After that, the castle served as a barracks for the Ottoman troops. The fortress and Skopje then lost their economic importance in the region. Around 1700 the castle was renewed again. Today's outer wall, towers and gates also date from this period. The east gate was the most important; it led straight into the bazaar. Even in the 20th century the fortress served as a barracks for the troops of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia; ten large military buildings, headquarters and barracks were built. In 1951 the armies withdrew and the Archaeological and Historical Museum took over the management. During the severe earthquake of 1963, most of these modern buildings were destroyed. Since then, numerous archaeological works have been carried out on the fortress.

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Details

Informations

Elevation 320 m

Weather

Today

Sunday 14 September

30°C

18°C

10 %

If you start your activity now...

Max wind speed: 0.0 km/h

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See hikes here

Take Me There

Location: Skopje Region, Macedonia

Skopje Fortress (Kale Fortress)

1. Stone Bridge, Skopje – Old Bazaar Skopje loop from Скопје

2. Stone Bridge, Skopje – Old Bazaar Skopje loop from Debar Maalo

3. Stone Bridge, Skopje – Old Bazaar Skopje loop from Skopje

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